


Glimpses

by Panoctu



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2019-05-14 10:21:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14767758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Panoctu/pseuds/Panoctu
Summary: A collection of short stories revolving around our favorite bunny and fox duo.





	1. Certain Nights

**Author's Note:**

> Why, hello there, dear readers.  
> Welcome to the first chapter of "Glimpses"
> 
> This is meant to be a collection of short stories with each one no longer than about 2000 words.  
> None of these stories are in any way related to each other or to other stories I've written so far.  
> Also, since I'll only work on this collection in between other stories or chapters (or when I need a little break from them), updates will probably be rather sporadic.
> 
> A huge thanks to A big admirer of time for proofreading this one. Even a short story contains some errors here and there XD

"I'm sorry, Nick."   
Her words carried a force that made his head reel from the impact.

Knees shaking, he took an unsteady step towards the grey-furred bunny doe standing before him with a feeling like his feet were a mile away from his body.

"What-"   
His voice was nothing more than a croak, his throat dry and rough.   
"What do you mean? I... I love you, Judy."

Shaking her head, she regarded the tod with pity.   
"I'm so sorry."

When she turned around, walking away from him, his world was shaken to its core.

The night seemed to swallow her.

He felt numb.   
His body.   
His mind.

He didn't even realize it when he fell to his knees.   
Didn't notice he ripped his jeans.   
Didn't feel the shard of glass that embedded itself into the pad of his right palm when he got down on his front paws, despair gripping at every fiber of his being.

He was alone.   
The one person he longed to be with more than anything else had turned him down.   
Mammals were passing by, ignoring the fox who was almost lying on the ground.   
No one cared about the pained whine that slowly rose to a scream.   
No one but the pale moon.

 

"Nick!"   
He shot up.

Darkness.

Not the dim twilight of an artificially illuminated night on the streets of Zootopia.   
The blackness inside of his apartment.

Predatory gaze piercing the dark, he looked around frantically.

His bedroom.

Only faint traces of light seeped in through the gaps of the closed rolling shutters.

"Are you alright?"   
He turned his head, facing in the direction of the voice.

It was too dark to discern colors, but he knew the eyes regarding him were of an utmost beautiful violet.

"Judy?"

Soft, velvety paws were cupping his cheeks while the doe who laid next to him got up on her knees, rising further until their noses met and her forehead touched his.

"Of course it's me, my dumb fox. Who did you expect?"   
She tried to joke, but the concern in her voice was evident.

She was right, though. Who did he expect?

_ Of course she would be here. My mate. We are mates! _

Relieve flooded his veins. Slowly uncoiling muscles shook his whole body while a tear travelled down his cheek.

This wasn't  _ his  _ bedroom. It was  _ theirs _ .

"I had a nightmare."

His voice trembled, and he hated it.

"What about?"

Gentle paws scratched the back of his head, one briefly drawing away to wipe off the little droplet swiftly.

"You."

The word was spoken with reluctance, the tod feeling torn between the wish to talk about it - getting it off his chest - and to keep it bottled up inside, not letting her see his vulnerability.

"Me?"

Judy's voice was gentle. An unspoken offer to him, letting him know she was there and would listen, no matter what he was going to tell her.

"I dreamed... I dreamed of when I confessed to you."

The doe hummed in acknowledgment, remembering that day quite clearly but not wanting to interrupt her mate. Her paws continued their gentle work.

"It was not even close to how it happened. In my dream, it was night. We were standing somewhere in the streets. And you turned me down. Just apologized before walking away."

His own paws - which had found their way around Judy, taking her in a gentle hug without him knowing when it happened - still shook imperceptibly.

Judy moved a little closer in his embrace.

"I would never do that. I stayed right with you. I wouldn’t have been able to leave. Because I love you."

Tender words whispered into his laid-back ears reminded him of the truth.   
The brief touch of a summer sun and a forest’s earthy fragrance mixed with the first, shy taste of his bunny’s lips passed through his mind. Memories of the most joyous moment of his life.

She was with him. She was right there. He felt her warmth seeping into his fur, felt her breath on his chest where her head had come to a rest.

He smelled her comforting scent, mingled with his.

"I know. I know, it's just..."

He drew away a little, staring intensely into the bunny's upturned eyes, not sure if she was able to see his without night vision.

But he could see hers. Full of affection.

"... just that I sometimes wonder why you would even love a broken and crooked mammal like me."   
Whispered words, bearing almost a lifetime worth of abjection, frustration, and defamation leading to self-loathing and feelings of deficiency.

Without hesitating, Judy rose to her feet. One of her arms reached around the still kneeling, deflated reynard's shoulders, the other one around his head, gently drawing him to her.

Nick leaned his head against the doe's chest, listening to her familiar heartbeat while the doe rested her head on top of his, her nose nuzzling the bridge of his muzzle soothingly while she slowly rocked back and forth.

"You are not broken. The world had tried its worst, but you have merely gotten some dents and bent a little out of shape here and there. You just waited for the right time to shine, to show what and who you truly are. And it's beautiful."

A soft kiss was placed on his nose.

"And you aren't crooked either. You are just a mammal. A mammal with his faults and fears and wounds like all of us. Some of those wounds might be deep, but I’ll stay with you and do my best to mend them."

She felt the front of her pajamas and the fur beneath growing moist.   
Soft sniffling told her all she needed to know.

Her paws gently rubbed his head and shoulders.

After a moment, Nick leaned away from Judy. Cupping one of her cheeks, he kissed her; a tender yet passionate meeting of lips. Conveying as much of his love and affection as possible. And his gratitude.

"If I have endured all those years just to meet you, it was more than worth it."

An infinitesimally small part of his mind couldn't help but sneer at his cheesy words, but that part fell silent once it realized the truth they held.

Feeling more at ease with himself and having shaken off the specter of his dream, he cradled his mate to lie down once more.

Holding each other, the soft rhythm of their breathing was the only sound filling the small room as time gently flowed by.

"Thank you, Judy."

He wasn't sure if she even heard his words or had fallen asleep already.

"Always, Nick."

The small smile he wore stretched by a fraction, and by another when a quick lick to her nose drew a chuckle from the doe.

Silence settled over them once more, and he felt like he could finally fall asleep again.

"Say..."

A single soft word drew him back from slumber's edge.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have dreams like this often?"

A minute shift of his body caused his paws to gently ruffle her fur while the draft of his sigh made an ear of hers twitch.

"Not often. Only sometimes. Maybe once... or twice a month. On nights when my old doubts come back to haunt me."

Her nose briefly touched his lip - a short, affectionate nudge - before her tiny tongue gave his cheek a lick; a for her unusual act that proved even more how deeply she cared.

"Promise me something. When it happens again, wake me up. No matter the time or how much you wish to let me sleep. I want to be there for you, more than anything else."

Indecisiveness caused him to hesitate.

"Fluff, I-"

"Promise me, Nick."

Her demand was neither loud nor rough, but tender. A plea.

"...I promise."

Warm affection filled every corner of his body.   
He sealed their pledge with another kiss.

Both huddled closer together, cuddling into each other.   
And Judy silently swore to herself that she would always be there for her fox.   
Whenever he needed her.

And especially.

On those certain nights.


	2. (Not a) Morning Mammal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since work is more than just a little demanding and stressful these days I thought I'd at least try to write a new story for 'Glimpses' to maybe get the creative juices flowing again.  
> I'm quite happy how it turned out, but it took far too long and 'Blindsided' might still have to wait a little longer for a new chapter I'm afraid :-/
> 
> As so often, my thanks goes to Quakky for proofreading ^^

Noise.

The city was always loud, but he hated that specific noise.

It was the dissonant melody of a night being over and sleep fleeing beyond the horizon.

The offending device was audibly rattling on his nightstand, vibration being turned on as well as the alarm.  
Without that combination, he would most likely turn over and simply ignore it.

But that wasn't an option.

It would mean getting into trouble with ol' buffalo butt.

More than that, it would mean getting into trouble with his adorably intimidating long-eared, fluff-butted partner.

Nope, pulling the blanket over his head was out of the question.

Not even cracking open one eye, he gruffly reached for his phone, pushing it almost over the edge.  
He was able to barely secure it with two claws before gravity claimed its prize.

Silence settled back over his room, and with a tired groan, Nick Wilde rose from the comfortable confines of his bed.

Becoming a police officer had been a turning point in his life.  
A second chance.  
A fresh start.

But he hated mornings.

He hated them with a burning passion.

The warm rays of sun that sneaked in through the gaps in the blinds didn't do much to lift his mood. They only caused him to keep his eyes shut, not feeling ready to face the day just yet.  
He had lived in this apartment for over a decade now and knew the layout like the back of his paw anyway.

The light also made his russet and cream colored coat shine softly while he was standing there in the fur.

With hunched shoulders, laid-back ears, and hanging head he tried to sort his priorities.

 _Clothes?_  
_Nah, can wait._  
_Shower?_ _  
Later. Would probably fall asleep and drown._

The thought made him chuckle. That would be quite a way to go.

_Coffee?_

His ears perked up a little at the mental image of the steaming hot, dark, aromatic deliciousness that was the essence of his life.

_Coffee it is then._

His paws were dragging over the carpet, his paw pads and claws creating a soft scratching sound with every step while he blindly approached the door to his bedroom.

A morose grunt fled his lips when he bumped into the chair in front of his desk.

When he missed his door by a good foot, feeling around the wall until he reluctantly opened one eye to a slit, the fox hissed at the light and shut it again once he had finally entered the small hallway.

_I hate mornings. I hate mornings. I hate mornings._

An endless mantra ran through his mind, stuck on repeat.

'bump'

There was the doorframe, leading to the kitchen.

'growl'

**_I hate mornings!_ **

Once he had entered the room, he squeezed his eyes shut some more.

Morning light unimpededly fell in through the eastward facing window and even with his eyes closed it was almost too much for his poor, muddled, foxy brain to bear.

Slowly, so to not run into anything else, he crossed the space between where he was standing, and the cupboards where he knew his salvation was waiting.

It still took him a moment to find the handle and open the first door.

_Dang it!_

He needn't even burden his eyes. His nose told him that he had found the cereals.

Next door.  
No coffee, no food.  
Okay, he carefully opened one eye.

Plates.

_Oh, come on, brain. You want that coffee too, right? Work for it!_

Next one.  
Mugs. That was at least something.

He took one with an image of dancing, cartoon-faced blueberries - a present from Judy - out and placed it on the counter before continuing in his search.

Two more doors and finally the heavenly scent of aromatic beans hit his keen nose.

_Ugh, rightmost door, not leftmost. Ah, whatever._

His nostrils widened when he inhaled with satisfaction.

When he took his first sip a few minutes later, the frown disappeared from his face for the first time this morning.

Smacking his lips, he stepped in front of the window taking a look outside with still almost squinted shut eyes.

As early as it was there were already enough mammals out and about. The sidewalks had started to fill with pedestrians on their way to work while cars passed by on the streets sending bright reflections up to his apartment.

One vehicle caught his eye, its paint a specific shade of violet.

 _Not really a color I would choose for a car,_ Nick thought.

Though he couldn’t help the small smile that stole across his face since it reminded him of a certain lagomorphic partner of his.

His still idling brain started to wonder, coming up with the question what a typical morning for Carrots would look like.

An amused chuckle escaped his lips.

He could picture her before his inner eye, shooting up at the first sound of her alarm if it would even have a chance to go off.

After that she would change in a wink, probably do some minor… or major morning workout, maybe take a jog and greet every mammal she met in her typical upbeat manner while beaming at them.

Then she would jump into the shower, humming along to the newest Gazelle song before changing into her uniform.

When putting on her badge, her eyes would widen, her mouth forming a surprised ‘O’.

Wait, the last part didn't sound right.  
And yet he could see that picture clear as day.

He took another sip of his coffee, mulling over the question why she would have that expression on her face. But the image wouldn’t budge, as little sense as it made.

His ears folded back against his head, eyes starting to mirror the ones of the very real Judy Hopps that was standing on the kitchen’s threshold gaping at his still extremely naked self.

At least his tail seemed to have the presence of mind to tug between his legs, bending upwards at the front to cover his foxhood.

The caffeine finally started to work, kick-started his brain and made Nick feel like facepalming.

_Yesterday? Becoming roommates? Moving here together? Furnishing the whole apartment in a major effort with the help of our friends? You remember, fox?_

He also realized at last why he was so out of sorts this morning; more so than usual.  
Bumping into everything.  
Not finding his coffee that in his old apartment indeed had always been standing behind the leftmost door of his cupboard.  
Looking out onto a neighborhood that wasn’t his.

And now he was here, standing nakedly in front of his adorable, gawking bunny-partner who couldn’t take her eyes off him and who’s muzzle was opening and closing like she wanted to say something but just didn’t find the right words.

When he cleared his throat, she jerked out of her stupor, her eyes finally meeting his.

“Morning, Fluff” he put on the best, unfazed smile he could muster at this point.

Her own “Morning” was almost nothing more than a squeak before she darted back into the hallway and out of his sight.

With a sigh, he took another sip from his mug.

_Great, first day as roommates and I pulled a flasher on her. Well done, Nicky boy. She’ll now think you are a pervert._

“You don’t always run around naked in the morning… do you?”

The nervous question from just around the corner made his ears perk up again.

“In my old apartment, I did. But I totally forgot where I am when I woke up today. Sorry Carrots. You probably didn’t want to see scrawny old me first thing in the morning,” he tried to sprinkle in some humor to lighten the mood.

“It’s alright. I know you are not a morning mammal. Especially considering that foxes are nocturnal creatures, it must be hard on you getting up this early.”

He considered telling her that foxes were more crepuscular than nocturnal, but decided to just roll with it.

“Also,” part of her face reappeared in the doorframe, one eye barely peeking inside the room, “I don’t think you look scrawny. You are in great shape, and your fur is really beautiful.”

Before he could answer to that, her by then burning red face had disappeared again, and he could hear soft pawfalls scurrying down the hallway towards her room.

…

_I still hate mornings._

His left ear flicked once in embarrassment, and he felt the heat creeping into his own cheeks.  
His tail had loosened up, and the tip was slightly wagging at the memory of her blushing face and the look she had given him.

_But I think they have their enjoyable moments as well._


	3. Through the Bottom of a Glass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my dear readers.  
> I have two good and one bad news for you.  
> The good ones are that there is (obviously) a new chapter for 'Glimpses' - and I really came to love to write those ^^ - and that by the time I'm uploading this, the third chapter for 'Blindsided' is finished and waiting to be checked by my proofreader.  
> The bad news is that this third chapter is only half as long as the first two. The reason for this is that I didn't want you guys and gals to have to wait any longer for an update as well as me finally wanting to break through this writer's block and I hope to accomplish this by starting a new chapter. Also, I just came back from my two-week vacation and feel like my creative batteries have at least been partially recharged :-D
> 
> Thanks for reading ^^
> 
> PS: I slightly rephrased the end of '(Not a) Morning Mammal' since it was kinda bugging me the way it was.

The cold, slightly bitter brew flowed over his tongue and down his throat, wetting it but leaving no impression otherwise.

"It didn't go well again, did it?"

Through the bottom of the beer glass, he saw a slightly distorted, blurry grey figure.  
Putting it down on his table caused a soft 'clonk' that was quickly drowned by the melancholic song that filled the small and gloomy bar.

"Ayup."  
The fox showed his usual lopsided grin, his eyes briefly meeting the female lagomorph's standing next to his corner-table.

With a fluid motion, Judy sat down next to her vulpine partner, taking in the empty beer glass as well as a small collection of shot glasses.  
She was surprised that he could apparently hold his liquor.

"That bad, huh?"

"Bingo."

It seemed Nick wasn't in the mood for excessive conversations, but she already knew that before she had approached the table where he had been sitting, slouching in his seat.

No matter how many dates he was going on, afterward he would always say the same thing.

"She just wasn't the right one."

She gave him a soft nudge with her elbow, shooting him a small smile when he looked at her.

"You'll find the right female. I'm sure of that."

"I already did, remember? Or... at least I had thought I did."

His gaze lingered on her a little longer, sadness tinging his smile.

Her halfway upstanding ears fell behind her back, and suddenly she felt unable to meet his green eyes.

Judy put her paws on the table, the claws of her right scratching at the index claw of her left in a faint show of discomfort.

"You still feel that way?"

"Mhm."

Silence settled over them.

The music that had switched from melancholic to even more melancholic was accentuated by the soft murmuring of the meager number of patrons occupying the mostly empty tables and barstools, sipping listlessly on their drinks.

A tired sigh came from Nick.

"Let's not delve into this old stuff any longer. It's not going to change anything," the fox stated.

Facing in his direction Judy saw that he was expectantly looking towards the bar from where a sourly looking badger approached their table, carrying a small tablet with a shot-glass filled to the brim with a dark brown liquid.

She placed it in front of the reynard without a word before leaving again.

"You won't find answers at the bottom of a glass, you know?"

"Probably not. But sometimes you find solace there, even if that's a false one."

He reached for his drink, but the doe snatched it away and threw it back, squinting her eyes shut when the liquid left a burning trail down her throat and caused her eyes to water.

She couldn't help a cough escaping her.

"You already had enough, judging from the small glassy army here. And I needed that one."

A slight chuckle sounded from her partner.

"I thought there are no answers to be found at the bottom of a glass?"

Another cough and small jerk shook her petite body before she was able to answer.

"Exactly. I have intensively tried finding some there before. It was the third biggest mistake of my life. Even bigger than going out with that jerk Barney."

Disgust crossed her face for a moment.

"Oh? What stands in place one and two?"

"Place two takes that press conference. I really should have known better than saying all those things in front of cameras."

Nick gave the bunny a small, comforting backrub, knowing that she was still beating herself up over it, even after more than one year had passed already.

She shot him a small, grateful smile.

"Now I'm really curious for the winner in your little ranking of ‘Judy Hopps' biggest disasters.’"

Her gaze fell back to the table.  
The shot glass Judy was still holding turned back and forth in her paws.

Taking a deep breath, she put it aside and turned to face her partner and best friend entirely.

"The top spot? That is the fault I made when I let fear influence me and turned you down after you told me you love me."

She placed her paw on his forearm, softly caressing his fur before giving him a squeeze.

"There might be no answers at the bottom of a glass, but sometimes you are lucky and find that bit of courage you need. Even if it's a false one."

Her gaze fell to her knees for a moment before focusing back on Nick.

"Truth be told I'm still afraid of what society might do to us. Scared of what our friends and colleagues might think. _Terrified_ what my family would say. But I'm willing to put my all into it, and I'm sure I can fight those fears if you would be by my side. If... well, that is if you are willing to give me another chance."

While she had been talking, Nick's ears had finally started to perk up after they had been droopy from the moment he had entered the place.

It took him almost a full minute to digest her words before he was able to react.

Taking her paw in his, he leaned forward until his forehead met hers.

"This is not just the alcohol that makes me hear things, is it? You are actually saying that you want to be with me?"

"Mhm." Judy felt her ears and face heat up, starting from the point their fur touched.

"Could you please say it? You know, so I can sure I didn't just imagine it."

Retreating a little, she looked into the vulpine's hopeful eyes and placed a paw to his cheek.

Leaning into her touch, a smile lit his face up when she said the words he had longed to hear.

"I love you, too, Nick. And  I want to be with you if you have me."

The last word had barely left her muzzle before soft lips met hers.

Somewhere in the back of the room a mammal grumpily mumbled something in their boots, but Judy ignored it the same way the other patrons ignored them.

She wouldn't let anyone get in the way of her happiness now that she finally reached it.

No one would get between her and her fox anymore.

When they rose from their seat and made to leave the bar, Nick thought to himself.  
_Yeah, you really don't find answers there, but sometimes you can see what you need most through the bottom of a glass._


	4. I scream, you scream...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After "Through the Veil" I needed to write something utmost fluffy to lift my spirits.  
> And in case you'll need this fluffiness, too, I waited until after I uploaded this dark story to release this one here.  
> Enjoy ^^

"Two hours?!"

The almost yelled exclamation drew the fox's attention.   
Lowering his cellphone Nick's gaze traveled to the grey doe who impatiently tapped her foot as if she was attempting to stomp a hole into the station platform.

A groan fled her lips, shortly followed by a sigh.   
"Alright. Just, call me when you are moving again. Bye."

Pocketing her phone, Judy turned around, facing her partner and best friend with discontent written all over her face.

A lopsided grin played around the reynard's muzzle.   
"What happened, Fluff? Did the train from Podunk run out of coal or something?"

"Oh, har har. Funny, Slick. No there is just a... well some... ugh," her face scrunched up with her anticipating his reaction upon her next words. "The train is stuck somewhere between Sandersend and Bunnyburrow. There is a flock of runaway chickens blocking the trails. Some hundreds. So it might take some time to capture them all before the train can continue."

She saw his smirk widen and glee lighten up his eyes.

"Don't you dare say a word!"

Nick raised his paws in what should have been a pacifying gesture, though his next words destroyed that illusion quickly. "Would I ever?"

His rhetorical question - which both of them knew the answer to was ‘yes’ - caused Judy to lower a glare at the reynard that made his left ear twitch oh so slightly.

_ Bunny reached the red zone. Abort the mission, fox! _

Letting his smirk fall away, he turned around, halfway facing the doe, halfway facing in the direction of the train station's exit.

"So, what do you wanna do now, Fluff? I presume you are not eager to wait here for the next two or more hours?"

Mollified by Nick's surrender, she mulled his question over for a moment.   
"How about we go back to one of our apartments and watch a movie or some episodes of a series?" she asked halfheartedly.

He immediately shook his head.

"We would need more than an hour to reach either of our places no matter if we use the subway or the bus, and the same time again to come back here."

"How about we just take a stroll through the streets and see what we can find to occupy ourselves with?"

"Or," Nick smiled as an idea popped into his mind, "we could check out that new ice cream parlor over in Sahara Square. The one I told you about which offers over twenty different sorts of vegetable-based flavors."

He had to suppress a shudder at the thought of carrot-flavored ice cream - or worse - but it caught Judy's interest, seeing as her ears shot up straight at the mentioning of frozen, creamy goodness in a crispy wafer-cone.

"The way your eyes light up I'll take that as a yes?"

Even before he had finished, the doe had passed him by, aiming to leave the building.

Shaking his head in amusement, he granted himself a second to admire her happily upraised tail, bobbing with every step, before he followed suit.

* * *

 

Half an hour later they stepped out of the subway station onto the scorching sidewalk of Sahara Square, right outside of the Palm District.

Whenever she entered this part of the city, Judy's gaze was drawn to the towering silhouette of the Palm Hotel and Casino. It brought back the memories of her first time in Zootopia, staring wide-eyed at the cityscape flying by outside the glass-dome of the train she had arrived in.

Pulling her gaze away, she expectantly looked at the fox at her side and got momentarily distracted by the sight of his cream-colored fur peeking out of his now unbuttoned shirt.

Forcefully moving her focus from his chest to his face she saw that he had obviously caught her staring.

"Feeling hot, foxy?" she jibed in an attempt to cover up her embarrassment.

"Not sure it's just me," he wriggled his eyebrows at her, "but my excuse is that I'm not made for this climate. What’s yo-"   
"Well then let's go get that ice cream," she commanded, quickly moving down the sidewalk and away from Nick in the hope that he hadn't seen her blush.

"Wrong direction, Carrots," his voice teased her from behind.

Spot turning she passed him by heading down in the opposite direction.

"Whoops, my bad. That  _ was _ the right direction."

As she passed him by for the second time, Judy socked him in the shoulder without sparing a look at him, smirking in satisfaction as she heard his mumbled 'ouch, brutal bunny'.

They only needed another ten minutes until Judy saw their destination.

The ice cream parlor was located in the shadow of a large rock, offering its visitors not only a cold treat but also the means to hide from the burning rays of the sun.

Right next to the store, there was a palm-fringed, natural oasis.   
The water got barely touched by the shadow of the rock, causing the surface to glitter in the sun.   
Signs, put up in regular intervals, announced that swimming here was forbidden.

Only a very small area close to the waterfront was an exception, where visitors were allowed to sit down and enjoy their ice cream while cooling their feet in the shallow water. It featured a limited number of tables and chairs, centered beneath sunshades.

The duo counted themselves lucky that their day off was a workday causing the place to be rather empty at this time.

After a short wait in line they got served and afterwards sauntered along at the edge of the water in comfortable silence, enjoying their sweet, frozen treats.

Opting for a little more comfort, they sat down on a bench facing towards the oasis.   
An idea struck Judy and she decided to take a selfie of Nick and her, licking their ice cream with equally satisfied expressions, and sending it to her siblings to tease them. It was no wonder her jester of a partner approved of that with a smirk and a look of respect for her.

After the last morsel of his wafer vanished noisily into the tod's maw, and his long tongue had licked off the last traces of the tasty dairy product he felt ready to needle his favorite bunny for her choice of flavors - one scoop of kale-ice and an apple one.   
Not that he could fault her for the latter, but the mere thought of that combination was enough to make his taste buds revolt.

Before even one word left his muzzle, a surprised yelp from Judy made Nick jump in his place.   
When he faced in her direction, he couldn't stop bellowing laughter from escaping his muzzle.

Sitting right between her agitatedly upstanding ears, a scoop of ice cream adorned the lagomorph's head and slowly began to melt.

"What...?" She reached up to investigate what had hit her.   
Drawing her paw back she found it to be quite sticky.

Gazing around she spotted a pair of giraffes chatting away while their long tongues darted out every now and then to get a lick of their cones.   
Only that one of them was missing its content, causing the mammal to look down, searching the ground for her missing treat.

With a sigh, Judy searched her pockets for tissues or anything she could use to get that mess out of her fur.   
Glimpsing a motion from the corner of her eye she faced the still chuckling fox next to her just in time to see him fishing his phone out of his pants.

"Nick, I swear if you take a picture of me now, I'll drag your sorry tail over to Tundratown, bury you in the snow up to your throat and sell you to the lemmings as a frozen fox-sicle."

For a moment he entertained the idea of taking the risk, but his survival instinct won out in the end.

"You, my dear, are such a spoilsport. But I have to give it to you, that scream was perfect. I know that  _ 'we all scream for ice cream' _ but I didn't think you would take that commercial so literally"

"Har har. How about you stop making fun of me and help me instead. Do you have anything to get this out of my fur?"

Leaning in closer to get a better look at the mess, he clicked his tongue.   
"That won't be easy. Seems that someone had an extra serving of caramel-sauce."   
"Oh come on, seriously?” Her words were almost a whine. “Maybe I can wash it..." her voice trailed off when her eyes fell upon the signs once again, causing the doe to groan.

"How about you just go to the shop's washroom and wash it off under the sink?"   
The bunny's ears fell behind her at the thought, earning her a quizzical look from Nick. "What?"

"I would be the laughingstock for the customers, and I don't really fancy that," she admitted in a tiny voice.

“Well, that leaves me with just one more idea.”   
The doe looked at him expectantly   
"I'll get it off. Come over here."

Confusion was written all over her face. She  _ was _ already sitting right next to him.   
Though the tod was patting his lap invitingly and it took Judy a couple of seconds until she connected the dots.

"Oh, no. Not going to happen. I'm not going to sit in your lap," she refused vehemently, already feeling the heat creeping into her cheeks and up her ears..   
"Well, it's either that or you go entertain the whole ice cream parlor."   
He raised an eyebrow, wordlessly asking her what it would be.

Judy barely got a chance to think about it when a droplet of molten cream traveled down her forehead, leaving a trail between her eyes until it reached the tip of her nose.   
Wiping it away she gave in, scampering over to the fox and sitting down on his lap.

She could feel her ears burning, but at least they were far enough away from the shop that not many mammals should pass them by and see them.

She still wondered what the vulpine had in mind when she felt a soft, dragging sensation on top of her head.   
_ Is he licking it off?! _

The thought of Nick grooming her here, in public, caused her blush to deepen some more, and she felt like the ice cream should actually be evaporated by the heat radiating from her.

"This is so embarrassing," she mumbled.   
"Hush. I'm trying to savor my scoop of caramel-bunny."   
The unexpected comment managed to draw a chuckle from her.

After thirty seconds the stiffly sitting bunny started to relax, Nick's grooming slowly driving the tension out of her.

After two minutes, she leaned back against him unwittingly, enjoying the treatment as much as the feeling of his still exposed, fluffy chest-fur without caring much for her surroundings anymore.

After five minutes, Nick began to purr, the deep, soothing sound rising and ebbing with each slow lick.   
Without realizing it, Judy was dragged along, joining in with her own tooth purring.

When a quarter of an hour had passed, both mammals had entirely lost track of time.   
Even when others walked by, pointing at the odd pair lost in an apparently rather intimate moment and chuckling at the sweet couple, neither bunny nor fox noticed any of it.

* * *

 

"That explains why she didn't answer her phone," a female voice next to them exclaimed.   
"Yep. And without that picture we would probably still be waiting at the train station," a second, male one answered.   
"We would also miss out on the chance to take these juicy pictures of JuJu and her boyfriend," the first one exulted.

Judy's right ear twitched oh so slightly.

"Pictures? Where is the fun in that? You might be able to capture her dopey smile that way, but I’m already recording them for five minutes by now, including purrs, happy sighs and those soft little moans. Mom will love finding out that she was right about Judy and her 'partner'."

Judy’s nose followed her ear’s example, and with a dawning sense of dread, she reluctantly cracked an eye open, silently cursing whoever interrupted her heavenly moment of peace.

A black-furred shape slowly took the form of a bunny, standing right in front of her with a grin.

"Hi there, Sleeping Beauty."

"...Cassie?"   
The still slightly dazed, grey doe turned her head a little to inspect the other mammal - a buck with reddish-brown fur and blue eyes.   
"Jake?"

A look of incomprehension crossed Judy's face at first.   
Then her eyes gradually widened when realization dawned on her.

"Why are you here? I thought you were still waiting for the train? Why didn't you call? How did you find us?"    
The questions left her muzzle in quick succession.

"Because we are visiting you," the black doe replied.   
"That was over two hours ago," the buck answered the second question.   
"We did call, but you wouldn't pick up your phone," Cassie continued.   
"And last but not least: we found you through the name of that ice cream parlor which was visible in the background of the  _ nice _ little picture you send us," Jake finished.

Unbelieving, Judy's gaze darted back and forth between her two siblings.   
Her two siblings who had just told her that more than an hour had passed since Nick had started to groom her.

In fact, she still felt his tongue slowly dragging over the top of her head and licking around her ears, tempting her to lean back again and forget about the world.

Then her memory kicked in, her siblings' words which had barely registered with her before running on playback inside her head.

“You took pictures of us?!"

Judy would have shot out of the fox's lap if not for his arms that had reached around her, taking her in an embrace and effectively keeping her in place.

Though the sudden movement finally roused Nick from his trance.   
He blinked multiple times in an attempt to make sense of the weird scene presenting itself to him.

The pair of grinning bunnies with still raised phones in their paws on one side and his adorable bunny-partner, sitting on top of him with expressions of embarrassment and anger switching places on her face on the other.

"Wha..?"   
His arms loosening around her, Judy finally darted towards her sister, aiming to get her paws on the phone and delete the incriminating files. Though Cassie anticipated her sister’s move and made a run for it, laughing and teasing Judy over her shoulder.

While the two does were moving further and further away, Nick turned towards the buck who still stood next to him.   
"Alright, I missed something here. Care to fill me in, uhm...?"   
"Jake," the other male introduced himself. "And you must be that rumored partner of Judy's, Nick Wilde."

Shaking the offered paw, the tod nodded in confirmation.   
"So, why is my dear partner hunting her sister?"

The grin reappeared on Jake's face. "Because Judy wants to delete the pictures Cassie took of your lovely grooming session."   
Nick's ears sprung up at that, standing to attention as if he wasn't sure he had heard right.   
"Though I daresay the video I took is far better than some pictures."

Seeing the fox's gaze fixated on him, he prepared himself to flee should Nick try to get his paws on his phone as well.

But after a moment of impassivity, the tod broke into laughter, shaking his head in amusement. "We must have been quite a sight to behold. Oh boy."

He leaned back against the bench's backrest, one arm thrown over it relaxedly.   
"I absolutely need this video. And the pictures, should they survive this day."

The unexpected statement rendered the buck speechless for just a moment before he whipped out his phone once more, sending Nick the file after exchanging contacts.

Sitting down next to the vulpine, Jake followed his gaze, spotting both his sisters still darting around the by now increased number of mammals visiting the oasis.   
Just before Judy caught the black-furred doe, she sidestepped at the last moment, causing the grey bunny to run into a slightly chubby wolf who in his surprise dropped his cone.

... which landed squarely on Judy's head, drawing another surprised yelp from her.

Next to him, Nick heard Jake piping up with hardly contained glee. 

"I scream-"   
"You scream," the tod took over.   
"We all scream for ice cream," they finished in unison, bursting into laughter and watching the doe hurrying towards them.

_ Another scoop of lovely bunny, please, _ Nick thought to himself with pleasant anticipation, a soft smile replacing his smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you guess it? Yes, my thanks go out to my dear friend Quakky for proofreading once more.
> 
> Also, Nick mentioned in this story that "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream" is part of a commercial.  
> I'm not sure if there actually is a commercial using this text (besides the one I found for Hershey's Syrup) but originally it's part of a song from the late 1920s by Howard Johnson, Billy Moll, and Robert King ;-)


	5. Drowsy

Nick forcefully cracked open an eye only for it to fall shut again the next moment.  
This occurrence had repeated itself multiple times by then, which meant the reynard had long lost track of the movie he was watching with his favorite bunny.  
Their weekly night for romcoms, crimes, thriller, or whatever they fancied at the moment had almost been called off when the long-planned raid on a catnip smuggling ring finally took place the evening prior.  
Briefing, execution, debriefing, interrogations, and paperwork had lasted through the night and a big part of the following day, which had left two exhausted officers in its wake.  
But both had been adamant about still meeting up tonight, arguing that they could celebrate their victory at the same time, and sleep in the next day since they would be off duty.  
_I'll just rest my eyes for a brief moment,_ Nick's decision was accompanied by an attempt to curl his tail around himself for additional comfort only to find that he couldn't.  
Again, one emerald peeked out from his russet face to search for the source of his 'predicament'.  
What he found made his ears perk up a little.  
There was a silently snoring doe cuddled against his side, his tail firmly clutched in her paws as she held it to her chest. He felt his heart tumble a little at the sight.  
Wondering when this had happened without him noticing, his brain shrugged the question off in favor of enjoying the sensation of her warmth seeping into his fur.  
A realization forced its way into his mind.  
If he fell asleep now, they would both likely remain in this position all night, leading to stiff joints, aching muscles and - if bad luck willed it - a cold for one or both of them the following morning.  
_Better wake her up, then._  
He shook Judy awake reluctantly and watched as her bleary-eyed gaze searched the screen.  
"Wha... did Spiderbun catch the bad guy already?"  
"We were watching Wolverine... I think," Nick replied with a tired chuckle.  
"Listen, Fluff. I think we are both pretty strung out from that raid. Let's catch some shuteye and meet again tomorrow. Maybe we'll be able to recognize the movie at least."  
His comment earned him a sleepy smile and a nod.  
She shot him an embarrassed grin when she let go of his tail and raised from her snuggled up position, only then becoming aware that she had been nestled against her partner.  
Paws tiredly dragged over the floor as Judy led her best friend to the door of her apartment.  
Morpheus already called for her again while they said their goodbyes.  
She wasn't able to remember what she had attempted to do. Maybe she had just wanted to hug her favorite fox goodbye.  
The next moment, she felt soft lips brush against hers, lingering for a second before they withdrew again.  
She was about to close the door - only a small stripe of artificial light still threw a bright rectangle on her floor - when her ears suddenly shot up, and her eyes opened wide, revealing the whole of her surprised violet orbs.  
A considerable draft swept through the room when she pulled the door open again with force.  
Judy was met with an equally astonished look on the tod's face, who had already taken a step towards the stairs, and appeared to have stopped in mid motion to gape back over his shoulder.  
Feeling wide awake now she gave him a shy smile while a substantial blush spread through her face and up into her ears.  
"Did we just...?" Her voice was almost too soft to hear.  
"Pretty sure we did," Nick replied with a bashful grin.  
"Think you could stay a little longer? We should discuss what just happened."  
His grin turned into a smirk at her words.  
"There isn't much to discuss. You already know I… I love you."  
"Do I know that?" the doe looked genuinely puzzled for a moment before a lopsided smile of her own stole across her face.  
"I guess I do now."  
Grabbing his paw, she gently urged the handsome vulpine back into her apartment.  
"And in that case, I'd like to get back to cuddling the fox I love. _Just_ cuddling," she added when she saw his smirk widen.  
"Wouldn't want it any other way, Sweetheart," he agreed, following her back inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thus appears the first story of mine I contributed to Cimar's latest collaboration. I have decided to add these stories to 'Glimpses' since they pretty much fit the format perfectly.  
> If you haven't seen the collab yet, you should really head over to his account and start reading the 'Fluff Files' for your daily dose of diabetes-inducing, sugary-sweet fluffiness.  
> Also, I want to thank Cimar for letting me take part in this collab. Writing shorts is one of the most addicting things I have experienced so far.


	6. Fixed

The lower body of an arctic vixen clad in a stained, blue overall peeked out from beneath a vehicle.   
Her paw appeared, likely groping about for the wrench that lay just out of reach.   
With a hind paw, the male standing next to it nudged the tool closer to the searching extremity.

"Ah, there you are you sneaky little..." came the mumbled reaction from the vulpine.   
"I don't think I deserve that kind of description."   
The mechanic jerked upon hearing his words.

Quickly darting out from beneath the car on her creeper, Skye shot her unperceived visitor an incredulous look, her fur standing on end in surprise.  
"Jack!? Oh, believe me, I have some choice words ready for you. Your car has been totalled! Do you kn-"  
"I'm sorry."  
His sudden apology stopped her furious tirade before she could get started.  
A look at the striped jackrabbit showed that he was missing his usual dispassionate demeanor. Instead, he gave her a soft, earnest smile.

She had been around the lagomorph long enough to recognize it when she saw his real personality instead of the professional, aloof persona he presented to his colleagues to give them as little room as possible to sneer at the ‘ZBI's  _ bunny _ -agent plushie’.

With a sigh, she deflated and threw the wrench onto a close-by tool cart where it landed with a metallic clatter that reverberated throughout the empty garage.  
Grabbing a dirty rag, she attempted to swipe the remaining grease from her paws. Jack in the meantime had stepped closer to the vehicle she had worked on.

"I heard you’ve been injured. Broken ribs or something?" the vixen's question was barely loud enough for his ears to pick up.   
"Thanks to your work here, no. Without your alterations to the car, I would have probably been perforated by bullets and squashed from the crash."

A warm body pressed against him from behind, arms reaching around to embrace him while the only slightly larger predator rested her head on top of his.  
He felt the skin beneath his fur heat up at the sudden contact.   
"I'm glad you are alright," she whispered as her grip tightened a little and caused him to wince.

The reaction didn't go unnoticed by Syke and she quickly let go of the buck.  
"Sorry. I thought you weren't hurt?"  
"Nothing's _broken_ , but my ribs are still quite a bit bruised."   
He turned around and took her paws in his, prompting her to focus her averted gaze back on him.  
The unexpected touch caused her delicate ears to redden.

"Without you, it would have been far worse. That's why as a sign of my gratitude and to apologize for... vandalizing your work, I wanted to fix us dinner."   
It took Jack quite some effort to sound casual and not let his ears fall back in uncertainty while he waited for the vixen's reply to his offer.

"D-dinner? At your place? You mean you will cook for me?” Her brown eyes shone almost golden as she stared at him. He nodded, trying hard to not visibly swallow around the lump in his throat.

"Jack, is this a... a date?" her last word came out in an almost-yip.   
"Yes?" He wasn't sure what to make of her reaction.   
A peck to his forehead followed by her laughingly ruffle the tuft of fur she had kissed alleviated his worries.   
"I'll be there at eight,"  she shot the buck a toothy grin while hurrying towards the changing room.

Watching her wagging tail vanish around the corner, Jack breathed a sigh of relief.  
As he scratched his nose in a faint show of embarrassment, he picked up the scent of oil.  
The viscous liquid stuck to his paw.  
That meant it had also stuck to her paws.  
And _ that _ meant that his headfur was most likely oily as well... and his suit needed a good cleaning.

_ Worth it, _ he thought with a grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my second entry for Cimar's 'Fluff Files' collab and the first time there is no Judy or Nick in a story of mine (heresy, I know).  
> And despite it not being WildeHopps I decided to add it to 'Glimpses' instead of uploading it as a single short or creating a new collection just in case I'll write more non-WildeHopps short stories.  
> I hope you can still enjoy this little drabble nevertheless. To me, SavageSkye is my second favorite fox-bunny couple.
> 
> Btw. the versions I upload here are the uncut ones, so you get some nice little extra details here ^^


	7. Live.Fox.Repeat.

The tod jerked awake violently and took a couple of deep gulps of air.  
His heart hammered away in his chest.

Small paws caressed his back and arm, combing through fur that stood on end.  
"Nick, shhhhh, it's okay. It was just a dream."  
"Was it, though?" he wondered out loud, which earned him a worried look from his mate.

Taking his muzzle into her paws, she prompted him to look her in the eyes. "Tell me about it."  
Her demand was soft yet firm.

"You will probably laugh, Carrots," he replied while his gaze traveled up and down her uncovered frame before he inspected his own paws.  
 _No gray hair on this fox. And not one on her that doesn't belong there._

"I died. I lived a whole life up to the end. I even remember the moment I slipped away." The vulpine shuddered at the feeling of letting go. "I have a lifetime worth of memories of you. Of _us_."

A shake of his head as he tried to sort out his thoughts.

"Nick? This is not your way of... of telling me that you think it's time to break up, is it?" Wide, moist amethysts bore into him.  
"What? No!" He pulled the insecure looking doe against him, holding her head to his chest where she rested it right above his heart. Paws caressed her back and ears, their roles suddenly reversed. "If anything, I feel grateful to have another lifetime to be with you. And if that's going to happen again and again, I'll be the last one to complain."  
His words, whispered to her as a silent promise, charmed a smile from the doe before she began tooth purring.

"You have a weird idea of saying that you don't want to talk about your dream and flattering me at the same time, Slick." A chaste kiss landed on his lips, her loving gaze a mirror of his own.  
He decided to roll with it, giving her a smirk and shrug that could mean anything or nothing.

 _It's probably better if she thinks it was just a dream._  
Though years upon years rippled through his memory, big and small events rewinding before his inner eye. He winced as a sudden pain pierced his skull.

"You alright?" Judy gave her fox another troubled look.  
"Yeah, just a headache." Scratching behind his ear, he tried to focus on some of the most important events that lay in wait for him, only to feel them flowing through the gaps of his mind like water through his paws.

He gave his head a light shake.  
 _Maybe it was just a dream?_

A soft sensation to his chin drew him back to the present.  
"Let's get back to sleep."  
He relished the idea of snuggling up to his bunny and sleep in on their day off, so he nodded his agreement. As he layed back down, Judy followed suit, cuddling against his front and nuzzling his neck before she remained still. Wrapping her in his arms and tail, he listened while her breathing slowly changed, indicating that the bunny had fallen asleep. Bare fur against bare fur, he savored the feeling of her small body against him, her warmth slowly lulling him to sleep as well.

 _It's going to be a wonderful life._  
He had no idea where the certainty of his thought rooted in, but felt it was true nevertheless.

As countless times before at this exact moment, on this exact date, a soft smile adorned the fox's face, only witnessed by the dawning day's twilight as he finally dozed off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another little drabble for the "Fluff Files"  
> Some might have guessed, some not, but the title for this one was borrowed from the movie "Edge of Tomorrow"... though that's almost all those two have in common XD


End file.
